A New York school district ‘erased its Native American heritage’ and violated civil rights laws by changing its team’s name From “Thunderbird” to “T-Bird”,” federal education officials said.
The U.S. Department of Education said Thursday that the Connetquot Central School District can voluntarily resolve federal law violations by reinstating the name of the “legitimate” Thunderbirds.
Like other districts in the state, the Long Island district changed its team’s name to comply with a state ban on the use of Native American sports names and mascots.
But federal education officials argued that the state’s order violated civil rights laws because it allowed schools to continue using names derived from other racial or ethnic groups, such as “Dutch” and “Huguenot.”
“We will not allow ideologues to decide that some mascots based on national origin are acceptable and others are prohibited,” said Kimberly Richey, director of the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. “The Trump Administration will not relent in ensuring that every community is treated equally under the law.”
The school district said it was reviewing the federal findings, but state education officials sharply rebuked it, calling the conclusion a “mockery” of state civil rights laws.
“USDOE did not explain whose civil rights were violated by changing the team’s name from the Thunderbirds to the T-birds,” agency spokesman JP O’Hare said in a statement Friday. “NYSED remains committed to ending the use of harmful, outdated and offensive depictions of Indigenous people.”
The state education department and the school district reached an agreement last year that allowed Connetquot to use the “T-Birds” name and related images, such as eagles, thunderbolts or lightning bolts, in exchange for dropping a legal challenge to the state’s ban on Native American mascots.
Native American advocates say the Thunderbird is a mythical creature often depicted in many Native traditions as a powerful spirit and benevolent protector.